Automatic test equipment (ATE) refers to automated devices used to perform testing on electronic systems and devices, such as systems incorporated into automotive, aerospace, marine and other environments. In many industries, such as the aircraft industry, ATE performs valuable diagnostic functionality, such as diagnosis and prognosis of aircraft systems and devices.
ATE devices may be used to quickly and efficiently test electronics devices such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), integrated circuits (ICs), and other related electronic components or modules. ATE devices may be controlled by computers or computing environments, proprietary controllers, or even relay controls.
An ATE system, or resource, may be a simple as a digital multi-meter (DMM) whose operating mode and measurements are controlled and analyzed by a computer, or as complex as a system containing dozens of complex test instruments capable of automatically testing and diagnosing faults in complex electronic systems, such as highly sophisticated flying-probe testers. ATE systems are used to test a wide range of electronic devices and systems, from simple components (resistors, capacitors, and inductors), to ICs, PCBs, and complex, completely assembled electronic systems.
ATE is widely used in the electronic manufacturing industry to test electronics components and systems after they are fabricated. ATE is also used to test avionics systems on commercial and military aircraft. ATE systems are also used to test the electronic modules in today's automobiles.
ATE systems typically interface with an automated placement tool that physically places the devices under test (DUT) so that they may be measured and tested by the equipment. Over the past four decades, ATE has grown from specialized systems for electronics applications to a wide range of applications in many industries incorporating electronic equipment. In many cases, ATE devices are incorporated into a station that houses the ATE resources, such as a DMM or other equipment.